• Using the Styles of Writing
• What is the question asking?
• Where on the Architecture does it fall?
• How can I use the Standards to assist me in answering it?
Outcomes:
Better understand the structure of a question from the Written Commentary
Make connections between the styles of writing and the way each question is written
Interpret the 3 Cs... clear, consistent and convincing when answering the questions of the Portfolio
Activities:
Say, Mean, Matter
Typing out all the questions from an entry in Word Doc format
Idea: Sort styles of writing on cards
Descriptive/Analytical/Reflective Julie
1. "How's Your Style?"- Match the styles of writing with the prompts in the entry candidates have been exploring. What style of writing are each calling for? Do some call for several? Why is this important to know? Could this activity go along with a card game or sort.. or even that writing activity we talked about where they draw a picture of themselves and write a description of themselves? How about a fashion show? :)Taryl
2. "Say-Mean-Matter"- Using a technique generally known for its effectiveness with reading comprehension, this process can be helpful in reading the prompts in each entry of the portfolio instructions. When candidates first look at what they have to do throughout the NB process, they typically feel overwhelmed by many things. One of the most common frustrations lies within the depth and ambiguity of the prompts themselves. Why don't they just tell us what they are wanting? How do they want me to answer this? What are they looking for? Haven't they already asked this question? These are just a few comments we hear when candidates first approach their written commentaries. In this exercise, candidates will use the Say-Mean-Matter technique to take apart the questions and look for the larger meaning in the entry and scoring processes. The more candidates understand the underlying meaning behind each of the prompts, the more likely they will make good choices and explain their teaching practices clearly, consistently, and convincingly.
Activity: Say. Mean. Matter.
Provide a few sample prompts for the group to do together. Then provide time to work through the process with the prompts in the video entry they've explored using the handout and their own portfolio instructions.
Based on what we collectively know, we start looking at the gaps in our knowledge. What do all these isolated facts say? What do they mean? What is significant about this body of information? What do we want to know more about? What are we already wondering about? Students, then, generate questions for further study. The rest of the study is driven by student inquiries. Students might work individually or in groups as they investigate the questions they chose. Higher motivation is one of the direct benefits of choice. Differentiation is a natural by-product. The variety of inquiry questions that derive from this brainstorming process is always much richer than I can possibly think of on my own. Because original thinking is so highly valued in the twenty-first-century workplace, providing opportunities for students to develop investigations is extremely important.
Summarize
What is the main idea?
What questions do I have?
What does this imply?
Is this significant?
How does it relate to?
What's going to happen next?
What do I expect to learn?
Did my questions get answered?
Say: What does the prompt say? What facts are present that help me understand what the prompt is saying? Mean: What does this mean? What is significant about this body of information? Matter: Why does this information matter? How is it important? How do my choices reflect accomplished teaching?
Sample Prompt 1: Who is the student you have chosen? Describe the challenge the student represents. Say. The assessor wants background information about the student and why I chose to feature this student. Mean. This means that I should choose the student carefully, someone I know as an individual and feel I have made a substantial difference in, or helped empower through my teaching. The scoring rubric states I need to recognize students' individual learning differences. Matter. The challenge is to teach this individual student in the context of the whole class. The differentiation I provide will demonstrate how I address this student's need in response to what I know about him/her as a learner.
Sample Prompt 2: How was the student's responsibility for his or her own learning and development [as a writer]encouraged through these activities? Say. How did the student monitor and manage his or her own learning? What strategies did I use to foster personal responsibility for learning? Mean. It's not enough that the teacher monitors students' learning, students must also know the instructional goals and periodically assess their own progress. The Standards say teaching must incorporate strategies and time for students to monitor their own learning. Matter. This is important because students who learn to manage their own learning acquire a skill with lifetime merit. Accomplished teacher recognize the importance and take the time to teach this skill.
Breakout Title: Unpacking the Prompts
• Using the Styles of Writing• What is the question asking?
• Where on the Architecture does it fall?
• How can I use the Standards to assist me in answering it?
Outcomes:
Activities:
Say, Mean, MatterTyping out all the questions from an entry in Word Doc format
Idea: Sort styles of writing on cards
Descriptive/Analytical/Reflective Julie
1. "How's Your Style?"- Match the styles of writing with the prompts in the entry candidates have been exploring. What style of writing are each calling for? Do some call for several? Why is this important to know? Could this activity go along with a card game or sort.. or even that writing activity we talked about where they draw a picture of themselves and write a description of themselves? How about a fashion show? :)Taryl
2. "Say-Mean-Matter"- Using a technique generally known for its effectiveness with reading comprehension, this process can be helpful in reading the prompts in each entry of the portfolio instructions. When candidates first look at what they have to do throughout the NB process, they typically feel overwhelmed by many things. One of the most common frustrations lies within the depth and ambiguity of the prompts themselves. Why don't they just tell us what they are wanting? How do they want me to answer this? What are they looking for? Haven't they already asked this question? These are just a few comments we hear when candidates first approach their written commentaries. In this exercise, candidates will use the Say-Mean-Matter technique to take apart the questions and look for the larger meaning in the entry and scoring processes. The more candidates understand the underlying meaning behind each of the prompts, the more likely they will make good choices and explain their teaching practices clearly, consistently, and convincingly.
Activity: Say. Mean. Matter.
Provide a few sample prompts for the group to do together. Then provide time to work through the process with the prompts in the video entry they've explored using the handout and their own portfolio instructions.
Based on what we collectively know, we start looking at the gaps in our knowledge. What do all these isolated facts say? What do they mean? What is significant about this body of information? What do we want to know more about? What are we already wondering about? Students, then, generate questions for further study. The rest of the study is driven by student inquiries. Students might work individually or in groups as they investigate the questions they chose. Higher motivation is one of the direct benefits of choice. Differentiation is a natural by-product. The variety of inquiry questions that derive from this brainstorming process is always much richer than I can possibly think of on my own. Because original thinking is so highly valued in the twenty-first-century workplace, providing opportunities for students to develop investigations is extremely important.
Summarize
What is the main idea?
What questions do I have?
What does this imply?
Is this significant?
How does it relate to?
What's going to happen next?
What do I expect to learn?
Did my questions get answered?
Say: What does the prompt say? What facts are present that help me understand what the prompt is saying?
Mean: What does this mean? What is significant about this body of information?
Matter: Why does this information matter? How is it important? How do my choices reflect accomplished teaching?
Sample Prompt 1: Who is the student you have chosen? Describe the challenge the student represents.
Say. The assessor wants background information about the student and why I chose to feature this student.
Mean. This means that I should choose the student carefully, someone I know as an individual and feel I have made a substantial difference in, or helped empower through my teaching. The scoring rubric states I need to recognize students' individual learning differences.
Matter. The challenge is to teach this individual student in the context of the whole class. The differentiation I provide will demonstrate how I address this student's need in response to what I know about him/her as a learner.
Sample Prompt 2: How was the student's responsibility for his or her own learning and development [as a writer] encouraged through these activities?
Say. How did the student monitor and manage his or her own learning? What strategies did I use to foster personal responsibility for learning?
Mean. It's not enough that the teacher monitors students' learning, students must also know the instructional goals and periodically assess their own progress. The Standards say teaching must incorporate strategies and time for students to monitor their own learning.
Matter. This is important because students who learn to manage their own learning acquire a skill with lifetime merit. Accomplished teacher recognize the importance and take the time to teach this skill.